Photo Essay: Alanya, Turkey, castle by the sea Special

Alanya
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Two hours' drive east of Antalya, Alanya is a Turkish town built by a hilltop castle above the Mediterranean Sea. Swimming coves next to stone walls and olive groves beckon visitors who long for a sunny place.

I lived in Antalya for five months and was able to ride the bus for just over two hours east to Alanya. The southern coast of Turkey, along the Mediterranean Sea, is a place of sunny beaches, warm water, and old stone walls. Castles, mosques, churches, and Greek & Roman temples nestle in the hills or directly by the water.

Alanya is tied to Mediterranean-based empires like the Ptolemaic, Seleucid, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. In the Middle Ages, during the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm, Alaeddin Kayqubad I fortified the city by building the Kızıl Kule (Red Tower), Tersane (Shipyard), and Alanya Kale (Castle).

Tourism is the main industry in Alanya, and 10,000 of the 250,000 inhabitants are European expatriates. I was amazed at the castle by the sea, close to swimming bays with warm, clear Mediterranean water. A modern yacht harbor with lighthouse leads to the Red Tower which is also a museum. My Turkish husband and I walked past the tower, on top of the castle walls, with the sea on one side and quiet olive groves on the other. Toward the end of Alanya Peninsula is the Tersane where Medieval ships would dock and be lifted up for repairs.

A hill rises above the sea, topped by Alanya Castle. You can ride a motorbike up the hill and see castle gates, old stone walls, and Mediterranean-style villas with red tiled roofs and courtyards. Merchants display their wares along the road, and little cafes offer Turkish tea and homemade cheese and potato bread. You can pay extra money to go inside the castle at the top of the hill and see an old church and mosque, but I preferred the natural views of coastline and blue sea cradled by red castle walls and cypress trees. Fresh sea air bathed my face as I drank in one of the best views in Turkey.